Lower Darling River. Photo: CEWO
Planning for 2020-21
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (CEWO) plans over multi-year time scales, to allow better integration of the planning of water delivery, trade and carryover.
The Water Management Plan 2021-22 is one document comprising:
- An introductory chapter on how we plan and make decisions to use water for the environment.
- A chapter on managing our water holdings in 2021-22. This chapter discusses projected environmental demands, water availability and delivery, as well as plans for carryover, transfers, and trade.
- 12 valley-scale chapters detailing catchment-specific environmental objectives, recent conditions, supply, demand, priorities and monitoring outcomes/lessons learned.
As in previous years, this document will inform decisions made by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder on how to best use the available water to benefit the environment of the Murray–Darling Basin.
The Water Management Plan is complemented by two summary brochures, one each for the northern and southern Murray-Darling Basin, and a video.
Consultation on the 2021-22 plan has occurred with state government delivery partners, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, scientists engaged in monitoring the outcomes of Commonwealth environmental water use, use and stakeholder advisory groups such as the Murray-Lower Darling Environmental Water Advisory Group, Victorian Environmental Water Advisory Groups and the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Community Advisory Panel.
Decisions on using Commonwealth environmental water will be made throughout the year based on seasonal, operational and management considerations. If you wish to provide suggestions for Commonwealth environmental water use please contact us at ewater@environment.gov.au or send us your suggestion by visiting: Your suggestions for potential water use options.
Water holdings
The Commonwealth holds the following entitlement types in the Lower Murray-Darling region:
- NSW Murray High Security
- NSW Murray General Security
- NSW Murray Conveyance
- NSW Murray Supplementary
- NSW Murray Groundwater
- NSW Murray Unregulated
- Victorian Murray High Reliability
- Victorian Murray Low Reliability
- Lower Darling High Security
- Lower Darling General Security
- Murray High Security (South Australia)
For more information about current Commonwealth environmental water holdings in the Lower Murray-Darling Region, please refer to Water Holdings by Catchment.
For more information regarding the characteristics of entitlements and the water resource plan held in the Murray catchment please refer to Victoria's Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, South Australia's Department for Environment and Water and New South Wales Department of Industry - Water
Left: River Murray at Waikerie. Right: Lake Woterap within the Hattah Lakes complex. Photos: CEWO